Multiple head wringer mop with telescoping handle

ABSTRACT

An interchangeable head wringer mop with telescoping handle is provided. The device includes a handle and a mounting head. Rotatably connected to the mounting head is a wringer for wringing a sponge head. A plurality of interchangeable sponge heads having different configurations is provided. Each sponge head is removably connectable with the mounting head and is operable in connection with the wringer. Also provided are a pair of living hinges about which the sponge head bends during the wringing operation. Further, an extension telescoping within the handle is provided having two fixed positions.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wringing mops and, more particularly,to wringing mops adapted to utilize replaceable sponge heads.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wringing mops are well known in the art. Typically, wringing mopsutilize a replaceable sponge head that can be thrown away when worn andreplaced with a new one. The wringing mops with replaceable sponge headsthat are known in the art provide limited utility because the spongehead is limited to a single configuration. Although different wringermops may have differently configured sponge heads, the sponge head foreach different mop is limited to a particular configuration to ensurethat the sponge head operates with the respective mop wringer.

However, no one configuration for a mop head is flexible enough to meetthe variety of cleaning tasks typically encountered in either aresidential or commercial setting. Therefore, to accomplish all of thecleaning tasks, one must utilize a variety of separate cleaning devices.

The known wringing mops with replaceable heads generally have numerousseparate mechanical parts used for mounting and wringing the spongehead. These various separate parts cause an increase in manufacturingcosts as well as an increase in the cost of assembling the mop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a novelwringing mop which has a plurality of interchangeable mop heads havingvarious configurations. In this way, the configuration of the mop headcan readily be changed to meet a variety of cleaning needs.

The present invention provides a wringer mop having an elongated handlewith a mounting head connected to one end of the handle. Rotatablyconnected to the mounting head is a wringer that includes a wringerbracket and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the wringerbracket. A plurality of interchangeable sponge heads are releasablyconnectable with the mounting head. These interchangeable sponge headsinclude a sponge head having a triangular configuration, a sponge headhaving a rectangular configuration, and a sponge head having a generallycircular configuration.

The present invention further provides a wringer mop comprising anelongated handle and a mounting head fixably connected to one end of thehandle. Releasably connectable with a mounting head is a sponge headcomprising a resilient plastic sponge plate to which a sponge is fixedlyattached. The sponge plate comprises a generally planar surface and twoparallel living hinges for wringing the sponge. Each wringing hingeextends between two sides of the sponge plate so that the wringinghinges define the boundaries of three portions of the sponge plate.These three portions include a central portion between the two wringinghinges and two outbound wringer portions straddling the central portion.

A wringer is provided for wringing the sponge head. The wringer isrotatably connected to the mounting head and comprises a wringer bracketand a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the wringer bracket. Therollers are rotated on axles pivoted on the wringer mounts about acentral axis so that when the sponge head is connected to the mountinghead, the rollers engage flush against the surface of the sponge plate,so that the rollers straddle the central portion of the sponge plate. Inthis way, operation of the wringer causes the rollers to apply downwardforce on the sponge plate, which in turn causes the outbound wringerportions to rotate toward one another about the wringing hinges. Thepresent invention further provides a wringer mop including an elongatedtubular handle that is internally threaded at one end. A telescopingelongated extension is slidably displaceable within the handle. Theextension has a first externally threaded portion adjacent one end ofthe extension, and a second externally threaded portion at the distalend of the extension. The two externally threaded portions have the samethread diameter and thread pitch as the internal threads of the handle.Fixedly connected to the other end of the handle is a mounting head.Rotatably connected to the mounting head is a wringer comprising awringer bracket and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on thewringer bracket. Releasably connectable with the mounting head is one ofa plurality of a sponge heads, each comprising a resilient sponge plateto which a sponge is fixedly attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

All of the objectives of the present invention are more fully set forthhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multiple head wringer mopwith telescoping handle, manifesting aspects of the invention,illustrated with a triangular sponge head;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1 with portionsbroken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the sponge headend of the device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the sponge head end of thedevice illustrated in FIG. 1 with the wringer shown partially displacingthe sponge head at the start of the wringing operation;

FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of the triangular sponge head shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a triangular sponge headtaken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5 having the thickness exaggerated forclarity;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top view of the sponge head end of the deviceshown in FIG. 1, with the handle being broken away;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of the sponge head end of the deviceillustrated in FIG. 1, with the handle being broken away;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged top view showing the triangular sponge headillustrated in FIG. 1 replaced with a rectangular sponge head, with thehandle being broken away;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged top view showing the triangular sponge headillustrated in FIG. 1 replaced with a circular sponge head, with thehandle being broken away;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the rectangular sponge head illustratedin FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the circular sponge head illustrated inFIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings generally and FIGS. 1-3 and 9-10specifically, a multiple head wringing mop with telescoping handle 10 isillustrated. The mop has a handle 12, a telescoping extension 15, awringer 36, and a sponge head, which includes a sponge plate 52 and asponge 75.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the handle 12 is generally tubularhaving an internal threaded section 13 at one end and a mounting head 25at the distal end. The mounting head 25 is preferably integral with thehandle and is transverse the axis of the handle. The mounting headcomprises a tongue 27, a foot 29 and two opposing wringer mounts 32. Thewringer mounts are generally perpendicular to and in the same plane asthe tongue and the foot. The tongue 27 and the foot 29 oppose oneanother and are releasably connectable with a sponge plate 52 asdescribed below. The wringer 36 is mounted on the wringer mounts 32 asdescribed below.

Preferably the handle 12 cooperates with the telescoping extension 15 asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The extension 15 is tubular, having a grip16 at one end. The grip is configured to fit the hand of the operatorusing the wringer mop 10. Adjacent the grip 16, is an externallythreaded portion 18 referred to as the upper threads. The extension alsohas a second externally threaded portion 20 at the distal end referredto as the lower threads. The lower threads have the same diameter andpitch as the upper threads 20.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the thread length of the upper threads 18 and the lowerthreads 20 are approximately equal. However, preferably, the lowerthreads 20 are longer than the upper threads 18, preferably being atleast twice as long as the upper threads 18. The diameter of theextension 15 including the upper and lower threads is less than theinternal diameter of handle 12. Additionally, the thread diameter of theupper and lower threads is greater than the diameter of the extension 15between the external threads 18, 20. This allows extension 15 toslidably extend or retract within handle 12.

In FIG. 2, extension 15 is shown in the retracted position within handle12. The upper threads 18 of the extension 15 are screwed into theinternal threaded portion 13 of the handle 12, thereby fixing theextension 15 in the retracted position. By unscrewing the upper threads18 from the internal threads 13 of the handle 12, the extension 15 canbe extended to increase the overall length of the wringer mop 10. Theextension 15 can be fixed in the extended position by screwing the lowerthreads 20 into the internal threads 13 of the handle 12.

The lower threads 20 of the extension 15 cooperate with the internalthreads 13 of the handle 12, so that the extension cannot readilyoverextend and become separated from the handle. The extension 15 canonly be separated from the handle 12 by screwing the lower threads 20through the internal threads 13 of the handle for the entire length ofthe lower threads 20. As an additional safeguard, a flared plug 22 maybe connected to the distal end of the extension 15 to prevent separationof the extension from the handle. The plug 22 has a greater diameterthan the diameter of the internal thread diameter of the threadedportion 13 of the handle 12, so that the lower threads 20 of theextension 15 cannot be screwed beyond the internal threads 13 of thehandle 12. To facilitate attachment of the plug 22 after the extension15 is assembled with the handle 12, the internal diameter of handle 12preferably is accessible through the mounting head 25.

As previously noted, the mounting head 25 at the distal end of thehandle 12 includes two opposing wringer mounts 32 onto which a wringer36 is mounted. The wringer 36 comprises a wringer bracket 38 and a pairof rollers 45.

The wringer bracket 38 comprises two straight parallel arms 39 thatstraddle the handle 12. The straight arms are connected at one end by asemicircular portion that is curved to conform to the outer surface ofthe handle. Preferably, the curved portion is configured so that it canfrictionally engage the handle 12. At the distal end of the straightarms 39, the bracket 38 diverges forming an angle in two planes with thestraight arms 39. At the distal end of the diverging section, thebracket bends again, forming two generally parallel axles 42 onto whichthe rollers 45 are mounted. At the end of the roller arms, the mountingbracket bends transverse the roller arms 45 forming two mounting pins 43that face away from one another.

The mounting pins 43 are used to mount the wringer bracket 38 on to themounting head 25. Each of the wringer mounts 32 of the mounting head 25has an opening 34 for receiving one of the mounting pins 43 of thewringer bracket. The openings are aligned to provide a central pivotalaxis for the wringer bracket 38. The wringer bracket 38 is pivotallyconnected to the wringer mounts 32 by inserting the opposing mountingpins into the aligned openings 34 in the wringer mounts.

As noted above, a sponge head is mounted onto the tongue 27 and the foot29 of the mounting head at the end of the handle 12. As shown in FIG. 1,the tongue 27 has a generally curved end profile, while the foot 29 hasa generally square end profile.

The features of the sponge head are most readily observed in FIGS. 4-6.The sponge head includes two components, a sponge plate 52 and a sponge75. The sponge is fixedly attached to the sponge plate. Preferably thesponge is permanently affixed to the sponge plate by means of a chemicaladhesive. The surface of the sponge 75 that is attached to the spongeplate 52 is substantially similar in shape to the planar surface of thesponge plate. Additionally, the sponge is slightly larger than thesponge plate, so that the sponge overlaps the sponge plate asillustrated in FIG. 3.

A socket 54 projects from the surface of the sponge plate 52. The socket54 is configured to cooperate with the tongue 27 of the mounting head25. Opposing the socket 54 is a snap-release 60. The snap-release 60 isgenerally T-shaped in cross-section, having a web 61, a flange 62 and athumb tab 63. The web 61 projects from the surface of the sponge plate52, and the flange 62 and the thumb tab 63 extend transverse the web 61.The flange 62 extends toward the socket 54 generally perpendicular tothe web 61. The thumb tab 63 extends away from the socket 54, preferablyat an angle to the surface of the sponge plate 52.

A V-shaped groove extends along the intersection of the web 61 and thesurface of the sponge plate 52. The sponge plate 52 is preferablyfabricated from a resilient plastic, so that the groove 64 creates whatis known in the art as a living hinge. The groove 64 is deep enough sothat the snap-release will rotate about the groove 64 when downwardpressure is applied to the thumb tab 63. However, the thickness of theweb 61 is sufficiently thick so that the resilient release 60 returns toapproximately its-original position when the downward force applied tothe thumb tab 63 is removed.

Two grooves 58 in the surface of the sponge plate 52 straddle the handlesocket 54 and the snap-release 60. The grooves 58 create a pair ofliving hinges for wringing the sponge 75. The wringing hinges 58 arepreferably symmetric about the center line of the sponge plate 52, withone hinge extending from a first side on the triangular sponge plate toa second side, and the second hinge extending from the first side of thetriangular sponge plate to a third side. The wringing hinges 58 areparallel and define three surfaces of the sponge plate 52: a centralsurface extending between the wringing hinges 58, and two outboundwringing surfaces straddling the central surface.

Adjacent the wringing hinges 58 and between the socket 54 and thesnap-release 60, a pair of alignment posts 56 project from the surfaceof the sponge plate 52. The alignment posts 56 are preferably spacedapart a distance approximately equal to the width of the foot 29 of themounting head 25. When the sponge head is connected to the mounting head25, each mounting pin 56 confronts one of the sides of the foot 29 ofthe mounting head. Because the sides of the foot 29 are generallyperpendicular to the surface of the sponge plate 52, the surfaces of thealignment posts 56 confronting the foot 29 are generally flat.

The sponge head is releasably mounted to the mounting head 25 asfollows. The tongue 27 of the mounting head is inserted into the socket54. The snap-release 60 is displaced by applying downward force to thethumb tab 63 of the snap-release so that the release rotates away fromthe socket 54. The displacement of the snap-release provides clearancefor the mounting head 25 to seat flush against the sponge plate 52. Oncethe mounting head 25 is seated on the sponge plate, the downward forceapplied to the thumb tab 63 of the snap-release 60 is removed. Byremoving the downward force, the resiliency of living hinge 64 causesthe snap-release 60 to return to its original position, thereby engagingthe foot 29 of the mounting head 25. In this way, the socket 54 and thesnap-release 60 cooperate with the tongue 27 and the foot 29 of themounting head 25 to prevent longitudinal relative displacement betweenthe sponge head and the mounting head. Additionally, the socket 54 andthe aligning posts 56 cooperate with the tongue 27 and the foot 29 toprevent lateral relative displacement between the mounting head and thesponge head.

When the sponge head is mounted on the mounting head 25, the rollers 45of the wringer 36 confront the surface of the sponge plate 52.Preferably, the rollers 45 straddle the center portion of the spongeplate 52 so that each roller confronts one of the wringing surfaces ofthe sponge plate.

The wringing operation of the mop 10 is illustrated in FIG. 4. To wringthe mop, the operator applies downward force to the wringer bracket 38so that the wringer bracket pivots away from the handle 12. The downwardmotion of the wringer bracket 38 forces the rollers 45 downward againstthe outbound wringing portions of the sponge plate 52. The wringinghinges 58 of the sponge plate 52 are the most flexible areas of thesponge plate surface, so that the downward force of the rollers 45causes the surface plate and the sponge 75 of the outbound portions topivot downward and toward each other about the wringing hinges 58.

The rollers 45 are preferably frustoconical. Additionally, the wringer36 is preferably mounted on the mounting head 25 so that the axles 42 ofthe rollers are approximately parallel to the surface of the spongeplate 52 when the mop 10 is not being wrung as shown in FIG. 2. When theaxles of the rollers are parallel to the surface of the sponge plate 52,the entire surface of each roller 45 does not contact the sponge plate52. Instead, during the wringing operation, the largest diameter of eachroller 45 initially contacts the surface of the sponge plate 52. As thewringing operation progresses, more of the roller surface contacts thesurface of the sponge plate 52, so that by the end of the wringingoperation the entire length of the rollers is in contact with the spongeplate. In this way, compared to cylindrical rollers, the frustoconicalrollers require less force to be applied to the wringer bracket 38 toovercome inertia and initiate the wringing operation. Once the inertiaof initiating the wringing operation is overcome, the momentum createdwill aid in the wringing operation as the rollers progressively come ingreater contact with the surface of sponge plate 52.

Once the wringing operation is completed, the operator pivots thewringer bracket 38 in the reverse direction until the wringer bracketagain frictionally engages the handle 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Theresiliency of the sponge plate 52 causes the wringing surfaces of thesponge plate to return to their original position, so that the spongehead is again flat as illustrated in FIG. 3. To aid the elastic returnof the wringing surfaces to the flat position, a piece of spring wire 70may be connected to the sponge plate 52 as illustrated in FIG. 6. Thespring wire 70, which is exaggerated in size for clarity, extends alongthe sponge plate 52 transverse the wringing hinges 58. The spring wire70, which is shown in a channel in the sponge plate 52, mayalternatively be molded into the sponge plate so that the spring wire isembedded within the sponge plate.

Preferably the mop includes the handle with a mounting head having amounting bracket, and a plurality of interchangeable sponge heads. FIGS.9-12 illustrate two sponge heads that are interchangeable with thesponge head illustrated in FIGS. 1-9. The sponge heads illustrated inFIGS. 9-12 are configured differently from the sponge head in FIGS. 1-8so that the wringing mop 10 can be utilized in a wider variety ofcleaning situations.

The mop head illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 11 is rectangular in shape, andincludes a sponge plate 152 and a sponge 175. To provideinterchangeability with the wringer 36, the sponge plate 152 of therectangular sponge head is similar to the sponge plate 52 of thetriangular sponge head illustrated in FIGS. 1-8. Specifically, therectangular sponge head has a socket 154, a pair of mounting posts 156and a snap-release 160 that are substantially the same as the socket 54,mounting posts 56 and snap-release 60 of the triangular sponge head.Additionally, the rectangular sponge head has a pair of wringing hinges158 that are living hinges. The wringing hinges 158 define a centralsurface of the sponge plate 152 that is substantially the same in widthas the central surface of the triangular sponge head.

The mop head illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12 is circular in shape, andincludes a sponge plate 252 and a sponge 275. The sponge 275 isgenerally bulbous. To provide interchangeability with the wringer 36,the sponge plate 252 of the circular sponge head is similar to thesponge plate 52 of the triangular sponge head illustrated in FIGS. 1-8.Specifically, the circular sponge head has a socket 254, a pair ofmounting posts 256 and a snap-release 260 that are substantially thesame as the socket 54, mounting posts 56 and snap-release 60 of thetriangular sponge head. Additionally, the circular sponge head has apair of wringing hinges 258 that are living hinges. The wringing hinges258 define a central surface of the sponge plate 252 that issubstantially the same in width as the central surface of the triangularsponge head.

Some of the many novel features and advantages of the present inventionare now apparent in view of the foregoing description. For example, awringing mop has been described that includes a plurality ofinterchangeable removable sponge heads. Each of the interchangeablesponge heads is designed to work in conjunction with a single wringer.In this way, a single mop can be used with a plurality of differentlyconfigured sponge heads to meet a wide variety of cleaning needs.Additionally, to provide greater flexibility of use, a telescopingextension is provided. The extension has upper and lower externalthreads that cooperate with internal threads in the handle so that theextension can be fixed in either a retracted or extended position.Finally, the wringing has been simplified to eliminate various separatemechanical parts. In this way, several of the components of the wringermop can be inexpensively produced as integral parts. For example, thesponge plate can be blow molded as an integral piece of plastic, as canbe the mounting head and the handle. When produced in this manner, theparts are generally produced out of low melt polypropylene.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes ormodifications may be made to the above-described embodiments withoutdeparting from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It shouldtherefore be understood that this invention is not limited to theparticular embodiments described herein, but is intended to include allchanges and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wringer mop, comprising:an elongated tubularhandle internally threaded at one end; an elongated extension slidablydisplaceable within the handle, comprising:a first externally threadedportion adjacent one end of the extension; a second externally threadedportion at the distal end of the extension, wherein the first and secondthreaded portions have the same thread diameter and thread pitch as theinternal threads of the handle; a mounting head fixedly connected to anend of the handle; a wringer rotatably connected to the mounting headcomprising:a wringer bracket; and a plurality of rollers rotatablymounted on the wringer bracket; and a sponge head releasably connectablewith the mounting head, comprising:a resilient sponge plate having agenerally planar surface; and a sponge fixedly attached to the spongeplate.
 2. The wringer mop of claim 1, wherein the thread diameter of thefirst and second threaded portions of the extension is greater than thediameter of the extension between the first and second threadedportions, and the internal diameter of the non-threaded portion of thehandle is greater than the thread diameter of the internal threads ofthe handle.
 3. The wringer mop of claim 1, further comprising a gripadjacent the first externally threaded portion of the extension.
 4. Thewringer mop of claim 1, wherein the second externally threaded portionof the extension is longer than the first externally threaded portion ofthe extension.
 5. The wringer mop of claim 4, wherein the secondexternally threaded portion is at least twice as long as the firstexternally threaded portion.
 6. The wringer mop of claim 1, furthercomprising a plug at the distal end of the extension to prevent thehandle from separating from the extension.
 7. The wringer mop of claim6, wherein the plug is flared with a maximum diameter greater than thethread diameter of the external threads and the tubular handle having anon-threaded portion with an internal diameter greater than the maximumdiameter of the plug.
 8. A wringer mop comprising:an elongated handle; amounting head fixedly connected to an end of the handle; a sponge headreleasably connectable with the mounting head, comprising:a resilientplastic sponge plate comprising: a generally planar surface; twoparallel living hinges for wringing, each wringing hinge extendingbetween two sides of the sponge plate, wherein the wringing hingesdefine the boundaries of three portions of the sponge plate, including acentral portion between the two wringing hinges, and two outboundportions straddling the central portion; and a sponge fixedly attachedto the sponge plate; a wringer rotatably connected to the mounting headcomprising:a wringer bracket; and a plurality of rollers rotatablymounted on the wringer bracket, so that when the sponge head isconnected to the mounting head, the rollers confront the surface of theoutbound portions of the sponge plate, straddling the central portion ofthe sponge plate, wherein upon operation of the wringer, the rollersapply downward force on the sponge plate causing the outbound portionsto rotate about the wringing hinges.
 9. The wringer mop of claim 8,wherein the rollers are frustoconical.
 10. The wringer mop of claim 9,wherein the rollers have axle portions mounted on the bracket forpivotal movement on a central axis, the central axis being generallyparallel to the surface of the central portion of the sponge plate,causing the surfaces of the rollers to engage flush against the surfacesof the outbound portions.
 11. The wringer mop of claim 8, wherein thesponge plate further comprises a socket, and a resilient snap release.12. The wringer mop of claim 11, wherein the mounting head furthercomprises a tongue configured to cooperate with the socket, and a footconfigured to cooperate with the snap release.
 13. The wringer mop ofclaim 11, wherein the snap release is rotatable about a living hingeextending along the intersection of the snap release and the spongeplate.
 14. A wringer mop comprising:an elongated handle; a mounting headfixedly connected to an end of the handle; a wringer rotatably connectedto the mounting head comprising:a wringer bracket; a plurality ofrollers rotatably mounted on the wringer bracket; a plurality ofinterchangeable sponge heads releasably connectable with the mountinghead, including:a sponge head having a triangular configurationcomprising:a resilient plastic sponge plate having a generallytriangular planar surface; a generally planar sponge having an uppersurface fixedly attached to the sponge plate, wherein the upper surfaceof the sponge is substantially similarly shaped to the planar surface ofthe sponge plate; a sponge head having a rectangular configurationcomprising:a resilient plastic sponge plate having a generallyrectangular planar surface; a generally planar sponge having an uppersurface fixedly attached to the sponge plate, wherein the upper surfaceof the sponge is substantially similarly shaped to the planar surface ofthe sponge plate; and a sponge head having a generally circularconfiguration, comprising:a resilient plastic sponge plate having agenerally circular planar surface; a bulbous sponge having an uppersurface fixedly attached to the sponge plate, wherein the upper surfaceof the sponge is substantially similarly shaped to the planar surface ofthe sponge plate.
 15. The wringer mop of claim 14, wherein the spongeplate further comprises a socket, and a resilient snap release.
 16. Thewringer mop of claim 15, wherein the mounting head further comprises atongue configured to engage the socket, and a foot configured to engagethe snap release.
 17. The wringer mop of claim 15, wherein the snaprelease is rotatable about a living hinge extending along theintersection of the snap release and the sponge plate.